Sunday, September 15, 2013
Saturday, September 14, 2013
My return to work
I feel very lucky. Here are a few factors that have eased my transition to life as a working mother of two.
1. I really like my job. I enjoy teaching English and Drama to high school students. I enjoy directing the school plays and advising the drama club. I like teaching.
2. I work with great people. I have warm, cooperative, kind, funny colleagues. Some visited me while I was on leave. Some contacted me Labor Day Weekend to wish me well on my return to school. Some volunteered course materials to help me get back into the swing of teaching. Everyone welcomed me back warmly, easing my return to work.
3. I like students. A senior asked me if I am new to school because he didn't recognize me. I told him that I've been teaching at the school since 2005, but I am returning from a long maternity leave. He replied with, 'Congratulations!" I was impressed that a seventeen year old boy had the wherewithal of hear "maternity leave" and think to congratulate me. I have met some really lovely teenagers at school.
4. My favorite part of teaching, next to snow days, is the opportunity for a "do-over" every September. I feel really lucky that I was able to return from leave when everyone else was returning to start a new school year. Would I have preferred to be with Emily until she turned one, as I was able to do with Belle? Of course, but the chance to start at a starting point was invaluable.
I miss being with the girls tremendously. While I am delighted that Belle loves school, my heart breaks a little when Craig (poor Craig) reports that Emily cries when he leaves her in someone else's care. But, I know Emily is safe and I know Belle is happy and I am confident that they will both be OK. I am exhausted and busy, but so far I can't complain about my status change from stay at home mom to working mom.
"Dada"
Last weekend, I was holding Emily while Craig was holding Belle. Emily looked at Craig and said what sounded an awful lot like, "Dada." Craig and I looked at each other, but it was Belle who said, "Emily called Daddy Dada!" Emily hasn't called Craig Dada since, but we all witnessed Emily first word: Dada. I think we have two daddy's girls on our hands here.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Ignorance of Santa Claus
Belle saw a Christmas card featuring a Santa Claus and she said, "Look at the funny clown, Mommy!"
Belle has no clue who Santa is. I'm sure she'll find out soon enough.
Belle has no clue who Santa is. I'm sure she'll find out soon enough.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Belle's backpack
Belle picked out her own backpack. It has fairies, such as Peter Pan’s Tinkerbell, on it. And, no, I can’t name by name another fairy on her backpack.
Belle asked me on Sunday morning at 9:30am what she could put in her backpack to prepare for her first day of school on Monday. She was so excited for school, and literally couldn’t wait to use her new backpack. I told her that she should fill her bag with school supplies; items she would need while she was at school.
Belle packed her bag with four stuffed giraffes, a Lego catalog, which she refers to as her magazine, and a book.
Belle asked me on Sunday morning at 9:30am what she could put in her backpack to prepare for her first day of school on Monday. She was so excited for school, and literally couldn’t wait to use her new backpack. I told her that she should fill her bag with school supplies; items she would need while she was at school.
Belle packed her bag with four stuffed giraffes, a Lego catalog, which she refers to as her magazine, and a book.
Addendum to my having a good one in Craig:
Craig does hair. He grew up with two brothers but can comb, clip, ponytail, and bun our girls' hair. You don't find that in just any father.
Belle's first day of nursery school as a 3-year-old
Good Morning from Santa Barbara
The temp is probably in the upper 60s, and I'm comfortable outside.
Sunday, September 8, 2013
I got a good one
The other day we watched a man interrupt his busy wife. Their toddler needed to use the toilet so the man called upon his wife, who dropped what she was doing to handle the task. All the while, the man didn't appear to be doing much more than sipping his coffee.
This is not so in our family. Craig takes Belle the the restroom when necessary. Craig changes diapers. Craig helps sooth our children and kiss their boo boos and play with and read to them and put them to bed and wake with them in the night (sometimes). Craig is a hands-on father. Sometimes I forgot how lucky I am to have a partner pulling his weight in our child rearing adventure. Sometimes it takes witnessing another mom not having as involved a husband to remind me that I have a good one.
This is not so in our family. Craig takes Belle the the restroom when necessary. Craig changes diapers. Craig helps sooth our children and kiss their boo boos and play with and read to them and put them to bed and wake with them in the night (sometimes). Craig is a hands-on father. Sometimes I forgot how lucky I am to have a partner pulling his weight in our child rearing adventure. Sometimes it takes witnessing another mom not having as involved a husband to remind me that I have a good one.
Monday, September 2, 2013
Some things don't get any easier
I have found mothering baby Emily to be infinitely easier than motherly first-baby Belle. I know what to expect, I know what to worry about it, I know not to worry about much, and I know that everything is a stage and Emily will be running around and heading off to school all too soon.
But there are two aspects of motherhood that are not any easier.
The sleep deprivation is far more difficult. I have two little ones stealing my sleep at night. On those few nights when Emily didn't wake and ask for her one middle-of-the-night feeding, Belle had me up a few times. I have not slept more than three hours straight in about a year. Some nights I feel as if I am in a sit-com, as I attempt to crawl back into bed from tending to one munchkin just as the other little girl is calling for me. I have begin relying on caffeine and wish I could take back all those times I likely refused a nap when I was a kid. I'll sleep through the night one day, right?
Today is Labor Day. A new school year begins tomorrow, and my maternity leave and stint as a stay-at-home-mom ends. I have returned from maternity-leave before. The start of the 2011-2012 school year marked the end of my year home with baby Belle. Craig and I went together to drop Belle off at her new in-home day care the morning of the first day of school. I cried hysterically. Hysterically. Huge, soap opera-like sobs with tears streaming down my face uncontrollably. I was confident that Belle would be safe, but would she be loved and appreciated? Would she be cooed over? Would she get her picture taken when she did something cute? And now, as I think about leaving both girl and returning to full-time teaching, I get a lump in my throat and my eyes well. I will have to be brave when I drop the girls off tomorrow because Belle has a keen sense of what is going on and I don't want to worry her. But I don't know that I'll be able to stifle my sadness when I get back in the car and head to my school. I like my job and I enjoy the people I work with, so I am looking forward to getting back to work. I just wish I could clone myself so my girls could be with their mommy and I could enjoy them all day while still pursuing my fulfilling career.
Can't have it all.
But there are two aspects of motherhood that are not any easier.
The sleep deprivation is far more difficult. I have two little ones stealing my sleep at night. On those few nights when Emily didn't wake and ask for her one middle-of-the-night feeding, Belle had me up a few times. I have not slept more than three hours straight in about a year. Some nights I feel as if I am in a sit-com, as I attempt to crawl back into bed from tending to one munchkin just as the other little girl is calling for me. I have begin relying on caffeine and wish I could take back all those times I likely refused a nap when I was a kid. I'll sleep through the night one day, right?
Today is Labor Day. A new school year begins tomorrow, and my maternity leave and stint as a stay-at-home-mom ends. I have returned from maternity-leave before. The start of the 2011-2012 school year marked the end of my year home with baby Belle. Craig and I went together to drop Belle off at her new in-home day care the morning of the first day of school. I cried hysterically. Hysterically. Huge, soap opera-like sobs with tears streaming down my face uncontrollably. I was confident that Belle would be safe, but would she be loved and appreciated? Would she be cooed over? Would she get her picture taken when she did something cute? And now, as I think about leaving both girl and returning to full-time teaching, I get a lump in my throat and my eyes well. I will have to be brave when I drop the girls off tomorrow because Belle has a keen sense of what is going on and I don't want to worry her. But I don't know that I'll be able to stifle my sadness when I get back in the car and head to my school. I like my job and I enjoy the people I work with, so I am looking forward to getting back to work. I just wish I could clone myself so my girls could be with their mommy and I could enjoy them all day while still pursuing my fulfilling career.
Can't have it all.
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